Emergency speed governor



April 13, 1937. D. F. WARNER Er AL EMERGENCY SPEED GOVERNOR OriginalFiled Aug. 20, 1931 Inventors Donaid'FWarheT, Reginald G. Sbanderwick,by Wa/wZifiW/M The? Attorney Patented Apr. 13, 1937 PATENT OFFICEEMERGENCY SPEED GOVERNOR Donald F. Warner, Lynn, and Reginald G.Standerwick, Marblehead, Mass, assignors to General Electric Company, acorporation of New York Original application August 20, 1931, Serial No.558,339. Patent No. 2,020,977, dated November 12, 1935. Divided and thisapplication May 11,

1935, Serial No. 21,052

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to emergency speed governors and has forits object an improved construction of such governors to permitadjustment during operation. This application is a 5 division of ourapplication, Serial No. 558,339, filed August 20, 1931 now Patent2,020,977 November 12, 1935 on speed control mechanism. In saidapplication we disclose a speed control mechanism for controlling andlimiting the speed of a motor,

which mechanism includes a speed controlling element, a speed limitingelement and means for automatically adjusting one of the elements inresponse to adjustment of the other element. To make this clear, let usassume we have a motor provided with a speed-controlling element or tooperate at 1500 R. P. M.

A speed-limiting element or emergency speed governor of this kind mustmeet two requirements. It must be connectible to a speed-controllingelement or speed governor and it must be adjustable during operation.

The single figure in the accompanying drawing shows an emergency speedgovernor in accordance with our invention. In this embodiment the speedgovernor is arranged to operate with a holding relay I6 which normallyis energized to hold closed a switch ll forming a part of a motorcircuit (not shown). The relay It has a coil connected to an electricsource 10 through the intermediary of the emergency governor. The latteris driven by a shaft l8 forming a part of a variable speed motor (notshown).

As the speed of the motor reaches a certain maximum value, the governorinterrupts the circuit for the energizing coil of the holding relay i6which in turn permits the switch I! to open by the action of a spring iI.

The emergency governor comprises a spindle it which is fixed in anopening in the end of the shaft l8 and is electrically insulatedtherefrom by a sleeve 20 of insulating material. The outer end of thespindle l9 forms a yoke or fork 2| between the arms or prongs of whichis pivoted an eccentric emergency governor flyweight 22, the pivot beingindicated at 23. The upper end of the flyweight 22 is the heavy end andis in the form of a contact arm. 24. The weight 22 below the pivot 23 isprovided with a conical bearing seat 25 with which engages a bearingcone 28 carried on one end of a tube The other end of the tube 21 isslidably mounted in a washer 28 of insulating material held in a sleeveor cylinder 29. Located between the washer 28 and a flange on the tube21 is a governor spring 30 which presses the bearing cone 25 against theseat 25. The sleeve 29 is slidably mounted in a ring or contact cylinder3| formed integral with the yoke 2?, that is electrically connected tothe latter. Mounted on the slip ring Si is a second slip ring or contactcylinder 32 insulated therefrom by an insulating sleeve 33. Duringoperation, spindle l9, yoke 2i, governor weight 22, tube 21, sleeve 20and cylinders 3i and 32 rotate as a unit with the shaft l8. Thisrotating unit is located in a casing 34, the inner end of which isfastened to the end of a frame 35 of the drive motor. Mounted on thecasing 34 are contact brushes 3% and 36:: which engage slip rings El and32 respectively. In the end of the sleeve 29 is a thrust bearing ball 31with which engages a rod member 33. The latter is adjustable in axialdirection of the motor shaft. It may be connected to a speed governor asdescribed in our parent application. With a certain adjustment the rod38 causes a definite compression of the governor spring 30.

The circuit for the operating coil of the relay it is formed through thebrush 35a, the outer ring 32, the fiyweight 2d, the yoke 2 I, the innerring 3| and the brush 36. The circuit is closed as long as thecontactarm 24 of the flyweight engages the outer ring 32. As soon as thespeed reaches a certain maximum value, the centrifugal force acting onthe fiyweight 22 causes outward movement of the contact arm against theforce of the spring 3%. The arms of the fiyweight under such conditionsare moved into a position indicated in dotted lines in the drawing, inwhich position the circuit for the relay i6 is interrupted causingmovement of the switch H by the action of the spring I i. The speed atwhich interruption of the circuit takes place depends upon thecompression of the spring 30, which compression may be regulated byaxial movement of the normally stationary rod member 38.

Summarizing, the flyweight of our improved emergency speed governornormally closes an electric circuit through two ring membersconcentrically arranged with the spindle for the flyweight and rotatabletherewith. The arrangement is simple in construction, reliable inoperation and may be manufactured at small cost.

Having described the method of operation of our invention, together withthe apparatus which we now consider to represent the best embodimentthereof, we desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown isonly illustrative and that the invention may be carried out by othermeans.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States, is:-

1. An emergency speed governor comprising a rotatable spindle having anend portion forming a yoke, a flyweight eccentrically pivoted on theyoke, a metal ring secured to the yoke and in conductive relationtherewith, another metal ring insulated from the first ring androtatable therewith, said other metal ring being normally in conductiverelation with the flyweight, a stationary casing, two brushes held onthe casing, each brush engaging one of the rings, means for biasing theflyweight against the action of centrifugal force comprising a coilspring coaxially disposed within the inner ring, and means including amember supported on the stationary casing for adjusting the springduring operation.

2. An emergency speed governor comprising a rotatable spindle having anend portion forming a yoke, a flyweight eccentrically held on the yoke,a metal ring secured to the yoke and in conductive relation therewith,another metal ring insulated from the first ring and rotatabletherewith, said other metal ring being normally in conductive relationwith the flyweight, a stationary casing, two brushes held on the casing,each brush engaging one of the rings, means for biasing the flyweightagainst the action of centrifugal force comprising a spring coaxiallydisposed with the spindle, and means for adjusting the spring duringoperation comprising a cylinder bearing against one end of the spring, astationary member coaxial with the spindle and supported on the casingand a thrust ball intermediate the stationary member and said cylinder.

REGINALD G. STANDERWICK. DONALD F. WARNER.

